Faversham Town 2-2 Hastings United - The bottom line is the performance is nowhere near where where we've set but I'm just grateful that we're still in The Cup, says Faversham Town manager Tommy Warrilow

Faversham Town 2 – 2 Hastings United
Location	Salters Lane, Faversham, Kent ME13 8ND
Kickoff	29/08/2025 19:45

FAVERSHAM TOWN  2-2  HASTINGS UNITED
The Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round
Friday 29 August 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Salters Lane

FAVERSHAM TOWN manager Tommy Warrilow says he is just grateful that his side are still in The FA Cup after witnessing some late drama against their Isthmian League South East Division rivals Hastings United.

This First Qualifying Round tie was switched to a Friday night due to the beer festival in the town over the weekend and the crowd of 445 were at Salters Lane to watch the unbeaten newly-promoted league leaders (10 points from four games) take on relegated fourteenth-placed Hastings United (four points from their opening three games).

The Lilywhites also needed a replay to beat lower league side Balham (5-1 at home after a 1-1 draw), before beating league rivals Merstham 4-2 away in the last round to lock horns with Lee Carey’s side, who beat Harrow Borough 1-0 at the Pilot Field.

Hastings United central midfielder Finley Chapman opened the scoring inside the opening 20 minutes with his first goal of the season, before Faversham Town had to wait until the 89^th minute to restore parity when attacking midfielder Tommie Fagg scored against his old club, from a composed penalty for his second goal of the season.

Hastings United’s central defender, Charlie Paye, 18, scored at both ends of the pitch during stoppage time, heading home from a set-piece to give his side the lead, before volleying an emphatic own goal over his goal-keeper just 85 seconds later to ensure these two sides meet again at The Pilot Field on Tuesday night.

“Just fortunate to still be in it really,” admitted Warrilow, during the post-match press conference.

“First half we was nowhere near it, deservedly went one-goal down but we just weren’t at the races in the first half.

“We were giving the ball away, just everything that could go wrong, did go wrong in the first half.

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We came out second half, I thought there was an improvement but there had to be because first half was nowhere near it!

“Listen, we’ve had a really good start to the season. Sometimes you get a little kick up the backside and tonight was that.

“On chances, especially in the second half, we still deserve to be in it but we didn’t deserve to still be in it on the way we played but I thought we did have a couple more in the second half but we didn’t capitalise on but they defended really well as well but overall I wasn’t happy with our performance.”

Faversham Town missed their eight-goal striker Tashi-Jay Kwayie, who was in Belgium on a modelling assignment but Warrilow revealed that he will be available for the trip to the East Sussex coast as Faversham Town bid to reach the Second Qualifying Round for the first time since 2017.

Faversham Town created their first opening after only two minutes and 23 seconds.

Fagg fed Kieron Campbell, who played a first time pass into the left-channel where left-back Jack Parter held the ball up before cutting the ball back to Campbell (via a poor clearance from Hastings’ Charlie Scarles) and Campbell cut the ball onto his right-foot before stroking a dipping right-footed angled drive from 30-yards, which was comfortably gathered by goalkeeper Harley Earle.

Faversham Town’s holding midfielder Harrison Pont played the ball out to right-winger Nathan Wood, who stroked a first time left-footed swept shot from 25-yards, which was comfortably saved by Earle down on his knees (4:43).

“We did have chances. It’s a shot, isn’t it, it’s a long-distance shot, which is fine,” added Warrilow, who claimed his first league championship of his career, the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division, in April.

“We’re on about pulling the trigger a little bit but it’s just the overall performance.  We can’t perform like that and expect to come away with results.

“We’re honest enough to take the plaudits but honest enough as well to, there’s nothing wrong with people coming off saying ‘I’ve had a bad game today,’ because it happens in football.

“But it’s just disappointing because there’s a big crowd here tonight and we could’ve played a lot better than what we did.”

Hastings United created their first opening (7:32) when former Rusthall winger Jack Lyons reversed a pass in behind Parter to feed former Sheppey United winger Dadigildo Carvalho, who drilled a low right-footed angled drive past the diving Archie Burford and harmlessly wide of the far post.

Hastings United produced a well-worked move, taking the lead with 19 minutes and 21 seconds on the clock.

Right-back Johnny Walker played a ball up from defence, Carvalho played a first time pass into deep central striker Callum Barlow, before switching the ball out to Lyons on the right.  He cut in and floated in a precise cross where Chapman buried his free header across the keeper into the bottom far corner from eight-yards.

“We said about the boy’s (Lyons) delivery and that. I’ve got to look at the video because it’s a free header,” said Warrilow.

“I don’t know if it’s in the six-yard box. There’s loads of things I want to look at but to be honest they deserved to go one-up.

“I’m not going to lie, we’re sort of scratching around a little bit looking at chances.”

Wood found himself within the centre circle before he played the ball out to Parter (who linked up well with Campbell down the left) and he whipped in a deep cross towards the back post where former Fisher and Dover Athletic target man Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba towered over his marker to loop his header into Earle’s gloves for a comfortable near-post catch on the half-hour mark.

Fagg played the ball out to Parter, who played a low 25-yard pass inside for Campbell, who took a touch before drilling a low right-footed drive towards the edge of the penalty box from 30-yards.  The ball deflected and fell kindly for Amgbaduba, whose right-footed shot on the turn from 16-yards was comfortably held by Earle, down on his knees, to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom right-hand corner.

When asked what Amgbaduba brings to the party, Warrilow replied, “Do you know what he gives you? Honesty. His work-rate is second to none.

“He doesn’t get a lot of change out of the referees but he’ll keep going.  He didn’t play a lot of football (at promoted Isthmian League Premier Division side Dover Athletic) last year, so with us he’s beginning to play a little bit more football and he'll get better and better.

“He’s a great lad to have around both on and off the pitch but he’s a handful and not only that his hold up play is good and he will run in behind, so he gives you a bit of everything.”

The impressive Amgbaduba easily brushed aside Hastings’ right-back Walker before feeding Wood, who cut inside and onto his left-foot and his 30-yard drive flashed past the foot of the near-post, as Faversham Town kept opting to shoot from distance, with Hastings’ back-four well-marshalled by the resilient Dean Gunner.

When asked what Carey’s side offers, Warrilow replied: “It’s a young side, first half their work ethic was better.  The big man (Barlow) up front was putting himself about. The two boys (Lyons and Carvalho) out wide were going up and down. The midfield boys were getting all the second balls, so it’s not rocket science, football. It’s just basics and tonight, when it’s not going right, that’s the sort of thing you’ve got to dig in to revert back to and we didn’t.

“We tried to play in the wrong areas. I thought we played tight balls in tight areas, trying skills in areas we shouldn’t and we’re losing the ball and they’re breaking and they’ve cashed in with a good goal.”

When asked what was said during the half-time interval, Warrilow said his assistant Alex O’Brien – a committed central midfielder who always played with desire during his non-league career - was rallying the troops.

“To be honest, when I got in OBs was ripping into them, so really not a great deal after that,” said Warrilow.

“It’s just about trying to calm them down and have a little bit of honesty and it was nowhere near it, nowhere near it!

“So it’s up to the boys to address that. If someone’s going to beat you – we gave the ball away so many times, I lost track of it, just playing in the wrong areas, trying tricks, playing in tight areas, not moving the ball quick enough.

“When they (Hastings) play the two wide boys up high and the boy in the middle, they’re going to break on you, especially with the boys joining in, so I was just grateful that we’re still in the Cup, especially when you let in a goal in that late.

“We were honest with the lads and in the second half obviously they had to improve.  They couldn’t play any worse, so they had to get better and I thought we pressed more. We were looking more at that end (Hastings end of the pitch). That’s a positive and like I’ve said we’ve had a few chances.”

Faversham Town produced a vastly-improved second-half performance and Fagg should have done better with a free header following their first of two corners after only 135 seconds.

Campbell floated the ball in from the right and it was right on the money and Fagg held his head in his hands after steering his header past the left-hand post from the middle.

Gunner launched the ball forward from Hastings back-line and the ball was rolled back by Faversham centre-half Ben Gorham and Burford’s poor clearance (after being pressed by the towering Barlow) fell at attacking midfielder Scarles, but he lacked composure and sliced his drilled right-footed shot harmlessly wide of the right-hand post from 22-yards.

Gunner put his body on the line to thwart the Lilywhites inside the opening nine minutes.

Campbell dropped deep before feeding Parter down the line again and whipping in a cross where Amgbaduba had two bites of the cherry and his shot deflected off Gunner inside the box and looped over the crossbar.

“That (second) half, that’s a positive and we’ve had a few chances where they’ve put bodies in the way, deflections for corners,” added Warrilow.

Earle pulled off a fine double save as Faversham Town kept knocking on the door in the 18^th minute.

Campbell picked up the ball in a deep central position and drove forward before drilling a low right-footed drive towards the bottom right-hand corner from 30-yards.

Earle dived to his left to parry two-handed and kept out Amgbaduba’s rebound from inside the six-yard box at his near-post.

“That’s what I mean, we’re knocking on the door, so like I said, even though we’ve played poorly, on chances we’ve actually like the areas we’ve got in and the chances we’ve had,” added Warrilow.

Gorham delivered a hanging cross into the Hastings box (19:41) and the towering targetman Amgbaduba met it with a header across the keeper, the ball landing just past the foot of the far post from within a crowd of players some 12-yards from goal.

Hastings United’s second attempt on target arrived (28:50) when a deep free-kick from Walker caught out Faversham’s right-back Bradley Simms (who launched five long throws into the Hastings box during the game) and the unmarked Gunner had a great chance, smacking a left-footed angled drive from 15-yards, which was beaten away by Burford and Paye’s left-footed shot from the rebound flew over the crossbar.

Campbell fed Parter down the left once more inside the final seven minutes and Parter dinked in a deep cross towards the back post where another trademark Amgbaduba header dropped and skimmed the outside of the foot of the far post.

“Unfortunately for Eniye, he’s had the header, he should really be burying at the back stick from Jack Parter’s cross but Eniye preservers. He always doesn’t drop his head and he’s worked his way in and got a penalty for us, that’s got us back in it,” added Warrilow.

The threatening Campbell played a first time ball forward, substitute attacker Johan Caney-Bryan knocked the ball down and it was no surprise that Amgbaduba won his side a penalty for a bookable challenge from Gunner and referee Joseph Gray pointed to the spot.

Fagg held his composure with a high-pressure penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way (diving to his left) as his right-footed penalty went bottom left as the Lilywhites deserved their late equaliser with 43:29 on the clock.

“The thing with Faggie, he tries his best and sometimes he tries to hard because he’s frustrated and he wants to get on the ball but he’s put a good honest shift in tonight. I’m glad he’s taken his penalty well,” said Warrilow, when asked about Fagg’s hard work all over the pitch tonight.

“I thought (that goal) was deserved, purely because of the chances we’ve created. I don’t know if he was the last man or whatever. One all, I think we deserved that. I think that’s us done, thank god we’re still in the Cup and then obviously the other thing happens.”

Faversham Town central midfielder Ethan Smith brought down Carvalho and the referee failed to spot Chapman had moved the ball on three occasions and Hastings United scored from the resulting free-kick – with 48 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock.

A handful of vocal Faversham fans on the half-way line were giving assistant referee Miles Hewson an earful during the course of the game, as the officials (assistant Benjamin Marshall was on the other side of the pitch) allowed Chapman to move the ball forward for the set-piece – but assistant referee’s tend not to interfere with incidents at the opposite end of the pitch, even if they appear to be closer to the incident.

Chapman’s 20-yard free-kick was beaten away by Burford, Paye’s first header clipped the underside of the crossbar from within a crowd of players and Paye -  the son of Cray Wanderers former player, manager and now director Michael, who was in the crowd – looped in a header into the roof of the net to score.

"We've got to swtich on more even for their second goal. It's hit the bar and we should be clearing that up and they've got to it twice, so that's something that we've got to work on," said Warrilow, as Hastings dominated the scramble.

“It’s a scramble but we had a gut feeling. I didn’t like that, I didn’t like it. If he’s moved it, good luck to him but it’s not about that. It’s hit the bar and gone up in the air. Where are we for that second thing? And that’s something that we’ve got to start looking at and anticipate."

However, Paye went from hero to zero, as he got Faversham Town out of jail, as the Bromley loanee (League Two) scored an own goal from outside his own penalty area – 49 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock.

A long ball was smacked forward by last defender Gorham, straight down the middle of the pitch towards a crowd of players and Paye cracked a right-footed volley that any striker would have been proud of, unfortunately the ball flew over Earle’s head into the centre of his own net, rather than over the crossbar as he was attempting to achieve, from inside the D, 19-yards from goal.

Warrilow said: “It’s a great little ball back in on the half-volley.  Obviously he’s (Paye) had a little swipe at it and we’ve cashed in. 

“Obviously never celebrate too early. The boys were going a bit bad when they (scored their second goal) – we all do it, it’s a passionate game but obviously when that went in, nothing surprises me in football.

“I thought it would’ve been a bit harsh if we’d gone out tonight.  This sounds mad – even though we didn’t play nowhere near to our capability because like I said I thought second half we should’ve really had some, had another couple of goals – but they’ve defended well.

“So listen, the bottom line is, the performance wasn’t nowhere near where we’ve set, we’re still in The FA Cup, so we’ll take that”

It's a very hard call to tell which club is the favourite going into Tuesday night’s replay but Warrilow promised, “They’ll be a couple of changes Tuesday, not on the back of that, on the back of this like two games in three days again.

“At least we’re still in The FA Cup, that’s the main thing.

“All it is, at least we can’t play as bad as we did tonight. We will improve. We will be better but sometimes you get a little, we didn’t get carried away, which we haven’t but everyone’s saying ‘you’re flying and this, that and the other.’

“There’s a little clip on your wings to say ‘calm yourself down, there’s a long way to go!’

“Yes, I’m happy with everything. I’m happy we’re still in The FA Cup. I’m happy with the League. The boys are all going well, so listen it happens in football. Like I said to the lads, you just want to win, we want the right things.  We want to develop them as players, make them better players.

“Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with coming in and say ‘we weren’t that good tonight, I had one.’  There’s not a problem with it.

“Everyone seem to be just so precious about having criticism in not just football but the world these days. Everyone wants a pat on the back but any time someone says anything, it’s crazy! It’s football. It’s a man’s game, it’s a passionate game. We all want to win and tonight was a FA Cup tie on a Friday night, a big crowd.

“I’m disappointed we didn’t put on a better show for them but thank you for coming and thank goodness we’re still in The FA Cup.  We've drawn against a side that's got relegated last year but at the same time, it's a young side (at Hastings) that they've had a lot of changes as well, so we've got another bite of the cherry on Tuesday down at The Pilot Field."

Faversham Town: Archie Burford, Bradley Simms, Jack Parter, Harrison Pont (Johan Caney-Bryan 68) Matthew Newman, Ben Gorham, Kieron Campbell, Ethan Smith, Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba, Tommie Fagg, Nathan Wood (Michael Ademiluyi 83).
Subs: Tariq Ossai, Callum Davies, Frannie Collin, Teddy Isaacs, Jacob Russell

Goals: Tommie Fagg 89 (penalty), Charlie Paye 90 (own goal)

Booked: Ben Gorham 58, Matthew Newman 73, Tommie Fagg 90, Johan Caney-Bryan 90

Hastings United: Harley Earle, Johnny Walker, Joe Clifford (Daniel Hull 62), Charlie Ball, Charlie Paye, Dean Gunner, Dadigildo Carvalho, Finley Chapman, Callum Barlow, Charlie Scarles, Jack Lyons (Juvi Mann 87).
Subs: Finley Holter, George Taggart, James Hull, Yusuf Rabbaj, Clark Masters

Goals: Finley Chapman 20, Charlie Paye 90

Booked: Johnny Walker 64, Daniel Hull 83, Dean Gunner 88

Attendance: 445
Referee: Mr Joseph Gray
Assistants: Mr Benjamin Marshall & Mr Miles Hewson